Journey Home

Chapter Thirteen

Oh my goodness, I felt so bad leaving Austin at the mansion, but I couldn't go back to that awful excuse for an orphanage.

I look at the map in my bag to make sure I'm still on the right track. Bad idea. I look up to see a deer in the road! I turned the wheel as hard as I could, barely missing the deer, but NOT missing a big ditch.

The car tumbles down the ditch, making me hit my head on something and knocking me out. I hear the sound of police trucks and ambulances I feel myself being picked up and carried somewhere. I can't seem to open my eyes but I can hear everything.

"What do you think she was doing out here," I hear someone say. I think it's a man.

"It looks like that one girl. I think her name was Chloe or something like that," I hear another person say, this time it's a girl.

"There's no way she made it all the way out here by herself," the man says.

This is the last thing I hear before I get pulled back into darkness.

I wake up in a small hospital room but when I try and get out of the bed I can't I realize my leg is in a cast. "Just great," I mumble to myself, knowing I'm probably going back to that god-awful place. I look over to the door when I hear a creak and see a doctor.

"Glad to see you're awake," the doctor says cheerfully, even though I am laying on a hospital bed with a broken leg and a bruised...well everywhere.

"So am I," I reply, since that was the only truthful and non-hurtful thing to say at the time.

"So I've called Miss Flavrin and-" He began but I cut him off.

"Wait what?!" I say rather loudly and starting to freak out.

The doctor looks at me, bewildered by my behavior, but after a moment he continues on. "...And she'll be here tomorrow afternoon also..." He pauses, thinking as if he's forgotten what he is going to say.

"Oh yes! Someone has come to see you," the doctor says, smiling and standing up to let the visitor in.

I sit there for a moment, pondering who it could be when I hear a voice. "Hey Zoey," Austin says smiling at me.

"Oh my God! Austin how did you get in here since your a-" I try to say but he cuts me off.

"I had to see you one more time," he says, looking as serious as hell.

I begin to realize what he means and my eyes grow wide.

"Wait you're going to jail just because you had to see me?!" I say as my heart begins racing.

"Calm down, I don't care. I just had to see you again," he says, sitting down next to me on the bed and I prop myself up on my arms.

The door creaks open and the doctor says Austin has one more minute. Let's make it memorable then," I say, giving Austin a confused look.

Then I do it.

I lean in and kiss him.